(no subject)
So, I wrestled with a five foot Leopard Ray this afternoon after it got caught in our nets and ended up in the catch tank. It didn't seem to realize that I was trying to help it back into the water, because every time I'd get close to it's tail, it would start thrashing it's spike wildly. Before today I couldn't understand exactly how rays attack, but when they start deploying that spike you catch on pretty quickly.
In the end I managed to get around behind it and catch its tail below the barbs, but it fought like hell and thrashed harder every time I started to get enough momentum to swing it over the side. Thing must have weighed over a hundred pounds easy, much heavier than the heavybag I used to carry around for training and slippery as hell to boot. Eventually I managed to get it sliding across the slick metal surface and after 270 degrees of swing, managed to just barely throw it clear of the railings.
This thing was pretty huge, but damn, I know that the biggest Manta Rays can get to almost four times its size. I'd Love to see one of those, and really hope we never run over one with our nets.
In the end I managed to get around behind it and catch its tail below the barbs, but it fought like hell and thrashed harder every time I started to get enough momentum to swing it over the side. Thing must have weighed over a hundred pounds easy, much heavier than the heavybag I used to carry around for training and slippery as hell to boot. Eventually I managed to get it sliding across the slick metal surface and after 270 degrees of swing, managed to just barely throw it clear of the railings.
This thing was pretty huge, but damn, I know that the biggest Manta Rays can get to almost four times its size. I'd Love to see one of those, and really hope we never run over one with our nets.